Concern
by Kiddo20
Summary: After overhearing that Naruto's latest mission has ended with a mad dash from the main gates to the hospital, Shikamaru was off and running, desperate to find out what had happened. From the A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words series. Not related to others.


Disclaimer: Neither the characters nor the artwork are mine. This is purely a fan work and I am making no money off of the use of any material.

Image to be found here:

nooneym. deviantart. (com/) art/ Concern-381120933

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Story Three

Concern

Shikamaru flew across the rooftops of Konoha.

He'd overheard a couple of Chuunin talking as they walked past his office in the Hokage building. Naruto's team had just returned from a mission and had rushed straight to the hospital. The Hokage had run off there as soon as she'd got word from the gate and Shikamaru didn't even bother to tell anyone he was going; jumping out of the window and setting off with haste.

His mind was filled with Naruto.

He had only just admitted to himself that what he felt for Naruto was more than friendly admiration. That wanting to be at Naruto's side had deeper motives than what he had admitted to anyone else.

Horrid images of a bloody Naruto, a beaten Naruto, a lifeless Naruto, flashed before his eyes. The blonde ninja took so many risks, so many unnecessary risks, but things just tended to turn out in his favor. But someone like Shikamaru knew that luck like that couldn't last.

What if something happened to him and Shikamaru had never told him? Ice crept over his heart at the thought, as the hospital finally came into view.

He skidded to a halt outside and, on shaky legs, made entry to the finest hospital in any of the hidden villages.

Things already looked bad. The staff was harried and custodians could be seen attempting to clear a large splash of blood from the floor leading to the emergency ward.

Muffled shouts filtered beyond the swinging doors and suddenly Shikamaru was just in front, not remembering having moved. Just one push, a gentle pressure would open that door and he'd have an answer.

Trembling fingers laid against the cool metal before pushing, eyes locked on the floor.

There were more splashes of blood, but they suddenly stopped about five feet in, they must have been put on a gurney.

"Shikamaru...?" A voice whispered and the shadow-ninja's head snapped up so quickly it hurt.

Standing before him, looking exhausted but otherwise alive, was Naruto. Blood splattered his clothing, and scratches covered his visible skin, and a field splint had been put into place for his pinkie on his left hand.

But ALIVE!

Gloriously alive!

And somehow his heart beat all the faster at the notion and Shikamaru would have thought that you could see if pounding against his ribcage if he'd been just a tad more addled.

Not believing himself, he walked forward, gently resting the tips of his fingers against Naruto's warm cheek, his eyes searching every inch of the blonde's face, taking in the life that it contained.

Naruto smiled, his eye-closing smile, and chuckled a bit.

"You're fingers are cold," he stated, hands coming up to Shikamaru's shoulders and pushing his friend away slightly.

"What are you here for? Chouji overeat again?"

Shikamaru's mind blanked, "Um...no...I...uh..."

Naruto's brow furrowed, "You alright Shikamaru?"

With a quick jerk he cleared his head, "Fine! I'm fine!" He said too quickly to be normal, but Naruto being Naruto accepted his friend at his word.

"Good!" Then with a sigh he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes as his head rested against the tile.

"Why are you here? What happened on the mission?"

Naruto's shoulder's drooped and he cracked one eye to peak at Shikamaru.

"Our mission was to capture a missing-nin."

Shikamaru nodded, pushing Naruto lightly down into one of the benches that lined the hallway, before sitting next to him.

"We were fine, captured him without much incident, but we weren't the only people looking for him apparently."

Shikamaru sat back, "Mercenaries?"

"Yup," Naruto put his face in his hands, elbows resting against his knees, "And mercenaries don't need their pray alive to catch the bounty."

"So what exactly happened?" At some point Shikamaru had started rubbing small circles on Naruto's back. The blonde either didn't notice or didn't care, and Shikamaru was just fine with either for now. He was still trying to calm his own heart and convince himself that he had worried for nothing and that Naruto was fine, just fine and alive.

"We had stopped for a rest and they jumped us. Suddenly there were explosions everywhere. Sakura had a tree uproot itself on her. Broke her arm and she was stuck. Kakashi-sensei took care of some and I had clones fight back a bunch, but their explosions hurt the target. He needed medical help and Sakura couldn't get it to him."

"So you rushed him here."

"So I rushed him here." Naruto agreed, "Kakashi dispensed my clones after everything was done. They're fine, just taking their time getting here since it's hard for Sakura to work on herself banged up as she was."

Shikamaru hummed in agreement and the pair fell silent for a time, waiting on word of the prisoner that Naruto had brought in.

"Hey Shikamaru?" Naruto inquired suddenly, sitting back and trapping Shikamaru's hand between his back and the wall momentarily before the shadow-nin tugged it out with a pale blush. "What's with the new hairdo?" A callused hand played a bit with the half of the genius' hair that had been pulled back.

Shikamaru snorted. "Hair tie broke this morning and I didn't have any extras. One of the girls at the office gave me this one but it wasn't big enough to hold all of my hair…"

"Oh…" Naruto mused, now running his fingers through some of the loose locks that rested against Shikamaru's shoulders. "I kind of like it this way."

"Hmmn," was the only response that Shikamaru could summon because it felt as though his throat had tightened up, and for once words would be of no use to him.

"Frankly my hair is getting kind of long…gonna have to cut it soon – or start putting it up like you!"

"Ha!" Shikamaru managed to force out, smiling at Naruto and taking in the rather striking mane of hair that the blonde was now sporting.

Naruto bit his lip suddenly, his eyes focusing on his own fingers as they continued to card through his friend's raven hair.

"Hey…Shikamaru…" Naruto started softly, so soft that it seemed wrong too hear coming out of the village loudmouth.

"Yeah Naruto...?" Shikamaru prompted when his friend didn't show any indication of finishing his sentence.

"You know how I don't do subtle?"

Shikamaru snorted so hard that it physically hurt. "You certainly don't." He joked, looking questioningly at Naruto. "So is there something in particular that you are being 'not subtle' about?"

Naruto briefly pressed his lips together as his determined look flashed across his face.

"This." He said simply before closing what had at some point become an alarming small gap between them and for the briefest of seconds Naruto's lips, dry and chapped as they were, were against Shikamaru's. Before the ninja had even a chance to react Naruto had pulled back and away and suddenly Shikamaru was cold because when had the pair ended up so close that their entire sides were touching?

Naruto leapt up completely from the bench and let out his too-loud nervous laugh, "Well, I should go get started on my report right? I mean…they're going to be in there forever…"

With an uneasy laugh Naruto made for the door but Shikamaru was quicker, his shadow jumped away from his and wrapped around Naruto's, effectively holding the other man in place.

He made Naruto turn around and leisurely had their forms walk towards each other. Naruto looked rather frightened but Shikamaru was practically bursting with happiness, though it wasn't very apparent to anyone who would happen to be watching.

"Naruto," he whispered, his face directly before Naruto's, close enough that they were sharing the same breaths, "I like that you don't do subtle…" And Shikamaru released the shadow possession, instead taking possession of the pair of lips before him, fingers digging into wild blonde hair.

And Naruto's own fingers returned to his black tresses, Shikamaru couldn't help but be glad that the day had turned out as it has. Despite the troublesome nature of it, and the fear and mild panic attack, things had turned out rather good.

That's usually how things went for Naruto after all.


End file.
